What Has Happened
In this podcast I go through the motions of what came out of the Auckland Council Budget Committee that had sparked a debate about Rates rises and decreases. The podcast concludes on a compromise that the Isthmus and lower North Shore should consider to get valuations back in line and mitigate off any more large potential rates increases. Of course you can draw a conclusion that the Unitary Plan has come back and bitten the Isthmus and lower North Shore on its collective arse. NIMBYism has a price and for 0.71% of Ratepayers that was a 40% increase in Rates price (note: infrastructure concerns I sympathise with but not NIMBYism attempts).
The Budget Committee Rates, and Unitary Plan Work Through Podcast
Context
Some external information on the situation.
The Radio NZ Interview with Mayor Len Brown on the Rates situation
The Voting Patterns (unconfirmed) on the Rates Transition Policy:
Voting from @aklcouncil rates transition debate Tuesday 18 Nov 2014. Only closely won by mayor and his support
11. Rates transition management option
MOVED by Chairperson LCM Brown, seconded by Deputy Chairperson MP Webster:
That for the purposes of developing the draft Long-term Plan 2015-2025 for consultation, the Budget Committee:
a) agree not to adopt a rates transition management policy (Option 1).
A division was called for, voting on which was as follows:
For
- Chairperson LCM Brown
- Cr RI Clow
- Cr AM Filipaina
- Cr PA Hulse
- Cr CM Penrose
- Member J Smith
- Cr JG Walker
- Cr WD Walker
- Cr J Watson
- Deputy Chairperson MP Webster
Against
- Cr CE Brewer
- Cr CM Casey
- Cr LA Cooper
- Cr C Darby
- Cr CE Fletcher
- Cr ME Lee
- Cr GS Wood
Abstained
The motion was declared carried by 10 votes to 7.
MOVED by Cr CE Brewer, seconded by Cr CE Fletcher: moved an amendment to the original recommendation as follows:
a) agree to adopt Option 3: Remission for residential increases above 20% for 2015/2016 only and option 1 (no transition from 2016/2017).
A division was called for, voting on which was as follows:
For
- Cr CE Brewer
- Cr CM Casey
- Cr LA Cooper
- Cr C Darby
- Cr CE Fletcher
- Cr ME Lee
- Cr WD Walker
- Cr GS Wood
Against
- Chairperson LCM Brown
- Cr RI Clow
- Cr AM Filipaina
- Cr PA Hulse
- Cr CM Penrose
- Member J Smith
- Cr JG Walker
- Cr J Watson
- Deputy Chairperson MP Webster
Abstained
The motion was declared lost by 8 votes to 9.
MOVED by Cr CM Casey, seconded by Cr ME Lee: moved an amendment to the original recommendation as follows:
a) agree to request an urgent legislative change to allow Option 4 [increases capped at 10% and decreases capped at -2.1%] to be adopted.
A division was called for, voting on which was as follows:
For
- Cr CE Brewer
- Cr CM Casey
- Cr C Darby
- Cr CE Fletcher
- Cr ME Lee
- Cr WD Walker
- Cr J Watson
- Cr GS Wood
Against
- Chairperson LCM Brown
- Cr RI Clow
- Cr LA Cooper
- Cr AM Filipaina
- Cr PA Hulse
- Cr CM Penrose
- Member J Smith
- Cr JG Walker
- Deputy Chairperson MP Webster
Abstained
The motion was declared lost by 8 votes to 9.
———————–
Thanks to Councillor George Wood for putting the vote record together
Some numbers on those facing Rates increases or decreases (there are 525,000 ratepayers in Auckland)
In the pipeline
Auckland Council rates proposal from July next year:
126,000 households face 10%+ increase
25,000 households face 20%+ increase
3738 households face 40%+ increase
160,000 ratepayers will get rates decrease (30% of all Ratepayers)
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11360673
So 30% get a decrease while 28% (approx) get an increase if the Herald has not bunged the 20% and 40% figures into the 10%+ figure otherwise it is 24% of total Ratepayers if the Herald has bunged the figures into the 126,000.
Previous Podcasts on the issues raised in this podcast:
Budget Committee on Rates Transition (Presser)
The Unitary Plan, the Recent Valuations
The Budget Committee Agenda
http://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2014/11/BUD_20141118_AGN_5544_AT_SUP_WEB.HTM
Talking Southern Auckland 